The Newest Makeup Trend You Have to Try: All About Baking

One of our favorite things to do right now is bake – and we don’t mean in the kitchen. Baking is a three-step makeup technique that has been escalating in popularity this year. The term “baking”, also known as “cooking”, is derived from the body chemistry involved in the makeup setting process. When a heavy amount of loose powder is applied over concealer, heat becomes trapped in between the two layers, essentially baking the makeup onto your face. This allows for longer-lasting wear time and a brighter matte finish.

Makeup artists for celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez have been known to rave about the trend, upholding it as their secret to a sweat-proof and shine-free face. Of course, you don’t have to walk the red carpet to get the long-lasting beauty benefits of baking, because the look is surprisingly easy and affordable to achieve — just in time for summer!

Step 1

Proper makeup baking begins with an excellent concealer. We love this one from Nars for creamy full coverage, although any concealer that you have on hand will work. Apply the concealer along your T-zone as well as under your eyes with a damp beauty blender. One common misconception to baking is that it is only applicable to the undereye area, but it can really be used anywhere on the face where you would normally highlight.

Step 2

Once your concealer has dried, dip the same beauty blender into a loose translucent or banana powder so that an excessive amount of product is ready to apply. A couple of our favorites are this Ben Nye Banana Luxury Face Powder, made popular by Kim Kardashian’s Makeup Artist Mario Dedivanovic, and Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder. Firmly press the powdered beauty blender into the skin wherever you applied your concealer until it closely resembles the image below. Keep in mind that you may need to saturate your beauty blender several times with powder to do so. When finished with this step, set a timer for five to ten minutes, depending on how much available time you have to bake. The longer the powder sits on your face, the brighter and more matte-like the finish will appear.

Step 3

Time’s up! Use any clean fluffy brush that you have, big or small, to dust away the remaining powder on your face. All baked areas should now appear smooth, matte, and flawless. You can also anticipate crease-free coverage that will last all day. Yes, it’s really that easy.